Let Me Take You Down
by Lennonion
Summary: Max and Jude have some unresolved feelings that are brimming over the edge before Uncle Sam schedules a date with Max. Meanwhile, Jude is in a foggy state of mind because of all the trauma. Between Max getting drafted and Lucy hanging around with Paco, the two decide to get away for a while. "Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going to... Strawberry Fields." [Note: This is fiction]


How could I fucking be so unscrupulous and uncaring that I fall for my own sister's boyfriend? Not to mention that Lucy's already had one hell of a time coping with the death of her last love. How could I let myself go? Was it the drugs? Was it the booze? Maybe it was those damned cotton balls the man himself made me swallow. Still, something made Jude look so fucking good tonight. I just couldn't pinpoint what it was. I was unsure of whether or not he was going for that whole 'tortured soul' look, but he nailed it anyways. The way he sketched effortlessly at the virgin canvas, his skillful hands fast at work, made me weak in the knees. I never knew I had a thing for artists, let alone guys.

I'll admit that I, Max Carrigan, am nothing special. I'm a college dropout who went against my tightassed father's rules and shipped my own ass to the big apple. You could quite possibly deem it the biggest mistake of my life, or the best mistake of my life. It might have been the biggest mistake in everyone else's eyes because I was about to be shipped off to 'Nam. Then again, it might have been the best mistake coming from a personal perspective because I got to meet all these extraordinary characters. I mean, I could have been stuck with those yuppies donned in their grandmothers' sweaters for the rest of my life. Now, here I am, surrounded by people who don't have vanilla personalities – they go with the flow and take life as it comes at them. They're far from bland and butthurt.

The part that struck me as odd about my situation was that I'd fallen for a man. And not just any man I met on one of my extravaganzas - it was Jude. And I was pretty sure that it wasn't a phase; we hadn't even shagged. For a while, I was starting to believe that Prudence had cast some kind of voodoo spell on me. I was never restrained when it came to sexuality, and if you knew me, you'd know that I was always up for some exploration. But the real thing?_ Love?_ I couldn't really look the situation in its piercing eyes, because it scared me. Almost as much as Uncle Sam. It scared me how attached I'd become to him.

So there he was, sipping at his liquor and puffing on a cigarette in the corner per usual. Lucy was nowhere in sight, and I could tell by the look on his face that Jude wasn't a happy camper. A thick fog of angst settled in the room. Right off the bat, I knew that it had something to do with that Paco guy. The shagger. Lucy Carrigan was such a pure and innocent person – I could never see her cheating or backstabbing. But if Paco really was someone who sought out vulnerable girls like her, could I really be too sure that she wouldn't give in?

"Hey stranger.." I greeted my Liverpudlian friend with a slight smile. The only reason I referred to him as a stranger, teasingly of course, was because he'd become estranged in a literal sense over the past few weeks. He slowly looked up and acknowledged me. "You seem awful mopey tonight. There anything I can do to make you happy? Want me to put on one of Jojo's goofy outfits or something?" I chuckled. I probably already looked goofy enough because I was in one of Sadie's patterned robes that she let me borrow. The dark-eyed male flashed me a soft smile and shook his head. "Y'know, that Paco guy's a total dick. We ought to fling some golf balls into his windows. Or slash his tires. What do you think?" I asked, smirking, hoping I could get some sort of reaction out of him. They _were_ pretty good ideas, after all.

"Sounds good, but I'd rather just stay in tonight with you. Maybe get some peace of mind - I like the quiet. Plus, I have to work on Sadie's logo." Jude said and handed me his cigarette. "Care for a puff?" He asked. I eagerly snatched the cig and took a long, much-needed drag. "Why would you want to stay here with a bastard like me? You could be out hooking up or something.." I nudged him. "Meh, I'm sick of meaningless shags." He shrugged. "Well, what did you expect when you came to New York? Do you want to settle down with a wife and father a couple of kids? Maybe buy a quaint house on the countryside? God, you're starting to sound like my dad." I grinned. "And if you're so convinced that Lucy's doing that Paco guy, why not get revenge and have an orgy?"

"I figure it's not worth it. People these days just use sex as a loaded gun, y'know?" Jude peered out the window. "That was deep. Good work. But was it an innuendo? You've been spending too much time around me." I laughed, making an obscene gun gesture at my groin which he figured out rather easily. "Ah, Judey, Judey. What are we gonna do with you, man?"

"Max, I'm in some kind of funk that I can't get out of. I've just been thinkin' lately. I know I said that no gun's gonna get you, but I've seriously been considering running off to Canada with you, and that's saying something." The shaggy-haired male said. "With me? You mean, with _only _me? Why would you want to do that? Canada sucks! I suck!" I laughed, and believe me when I tell you, I had to try my hardest to conceal the blush on my face. Sadly, blushing is just one of those things you can't turn off with the switch of a light. The fact that there was even a small chance he might feel the same way jolted me. "Are you alright? You look a little red in the face.." _Oh no._ He was onto me. "Are you running a fever?" His hand met my cheek. Why was he so caring all of a sudden? No. There was no way Jude would return my feelings. Yes - I, Max Carrigan, had feelings.

"N-No, I'm fine. Stop worrying like a mother, you're making me nervous.." I chuckled uneasily. "Jude, can you come to the bedroom? I just.. I want to talk." He gave me a strange look. "Sure, I guess. Everything's alright, yeah?" Jude got up and followed me into the bead curtain that separated the bedroom from the other rooms. "Mhm. Everything's alright. There's just some stuff I want to, uhh, discuss with you." We were now sitting on the bed, and I needed to spill the beans. "Just believe me with a willing suspense of disbelief. I'm kind of in love with you, if that makes sense. I know it's wrong, and I know you're with my sister. It's just that… I've never met anyone like you in my life. Maybe it's your accent or the way you draw – it's beyond me. Either way, it's _you, _Jude."

He opened his mouth as if to speak and shut his eyes. Was it all too much? Did I say the wrong thing? Probably all of the above; I must have fucked up somehow. "Max, is this some kind of prank that.. Wait, are you being serious?" Jude grabbed my shoulders and straightened me out so I was looking him in the eyes. "No, no. It's not a prank, I promise. It's actually far from a joke, sadly." I ran my fingers through my dirty blond hair, which was now shaggy, out of nervousness. "Well, I told your sister that I loved you when she was fretting about the war. Max, I certainly have feelings for you too. I can't deny it."

"You were the first one I met around here. You were the first dot on a connect-the-dots paper – you lead me to where I am now, and convinced me to come to New York." Jude said. "It would be a royal shame if whatever we have wasted away to nothing, because we have _something._" I listened to his voice echo through the dim room as the organ in my chest did backflips. As much as I didn't like to admit it, I had a heart. I wasn't just shits and giggles. "I think you can agree with me on this one. Why don't we just forget about everyone else for a while and spend the night together?"


End file.
